Mike Reynolds: Consistency and Character

Patrick B. McGuigan

State Rep. Mike Reynolds faces a primary challenge on July 29. No Democrat filed for the District 91 seat he holds, so Republican voters will decide if he gets two more years in the Legislature.

Not as an endorsement, but as a witness, here are some good words for a good man. Reynolds is being heavily outspent as he seeks to continue serving voters in south Oklahoma City. This essay is no brief against his opponent, but a closing argument, in the court of public opinion, for Mike Reynolds.

Reynolds is a consistent conservative, but he is not best known for activism. Many liberals respect him because he speaks truth to power.

He is not a self-promoter, so his good deeds are sometimes under-appreciated and under-reported, including by conservatives who would prefer that he remain silent about ethical lapses among Republicans, or that he concentrate his sharp wits and discerning eye exclusively on Democrats.

In the Republican legislative caucus, he is the most relentless and passionate advocate of campaign finance transparency. He insists members of his party adhere to principles of disclosure that Republicans apply readily to opponents. In another world it might be unremarkable, but in this world it is amazing: Mike Reynolds believes ethics rules should apply to everyone in the arena, and he acts on those beliefs.

A beacon of consistency and integrity at a place that does not have enough of either, he is honest, forthright and fearless. Mike Reynolds tells the truth, and works hard for constituents. The state Capitol would be a lesser place without him.
About the Author: Patrick McGuigan is an editor at The City Sentinel, a weekly newspaper in Oklahoma City, where this essay will also appear. He is the author of two books and the editor of seven, including “Law, Economics & Civil Justice: A Reform Agenda” (1994) and “Crime & Punishment in Modern America” (1986). He is a regular contributor to Tulsa Today since 2002 and once served as our Capital Editor – a position we hope McGuigan will fill again some day soon. He is currently a research fellow at OCPA. A state-certified teacher, for two years he taught middle-school and high-school students at a public charter alternative school.